Which of the following methods would best separate sand and water? boiling filtering decanting distilling

Chemistry · College · Thu Feb 04 2021

Answered on

The method that would best separate sand and water is filtering.

Filtering is a process that uses a porous material, such as filter paper or a sieve, to separate solid particles from a liquid. In the case of sand and water, pouring the mixture through a filter allows the water to pass through while retaining the solid sand particles on the filter. The liquid (water) that passes through is called the filtrate, and the solid particles (sand) that remain on the filter are called the residue.

Boiling, decanting, and distilling are not effective methods for separating sand and water:

1.Boiling:

Boiling is a process that involves heating a liquid to its boiling point to convert it into vapor. This method would not separate sand from water because both components would remain mixed in the liquid phase.

2.Decanting:

Decanting involves pouring off the liquid portion of a mixture, leaving the solid behind. However, decanting may not be efficient for separating sand and water, as the sand particles may also be poured off with the liquid.

3.Distilling:

Distillation is a separation technique based on differences in boiling points. It is effective for separating components with distinct boiling points but is not suitable for separating sand from water, as both are in the same phase (liquid) at typical temperatures. Distillation is more commonly used to separate components with different boiling points, such as in the purification of liquids.

Therefore, for the separation of sand and water, filtering is the most appropriate method.

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